As Lightning Strikes
by believeindreams-believeinyou
Summary: A ghost appears to Melinda and warns her to keep a close eye on Jim, as he is coveted on the other side...Can she keep him safe, or will she loose the one she loves? Please read&review. Thanks. xxx


Lightning flashed in the sky, illuminating the room for what seemed like forever. Melinda had been awake for a while now, because she hated storms, but didn't want to wake Jim. Oh, what she would do for a hug from him right now.

She wrapped her arms more tightly around her legs, and shivered slightly. She'd had enough of this storm, and was about to wake Jim, when a mysterious figure appeared in the corner of the room, just out of reach of the light from the night.

His face was dark, plagued with shadows from his cap, which was knocked to one side. His clothes were torn and ripped, and blood covered every inch of his skin that was visible to Melinda.

"What do you want?" Melinda asked with curiosity. "Who are you?"

"You...Mustn't...Leave...Him...For...Too...long" The ghost said, dragging out the words slowly.

"I mustn't leave who?" Melinda asked, worried for Jim's safety.

The ghost raised a blood soaked hand, and pointed directly at Jim.

"He's in danger. Only you can help him. ONLY YOU." It said, and disappeared before Melinda could ask anything else.

Melinda looked at Jim, and felt the colour drain from her face. She couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to him.

* * *

She watched him for the duration of the storm, and smiled when his eyes fluttered open to look at her.

"Hey Mel" Jim said, yawning. "How long have you been up?"

He sat up and looked at the window, and saw that it was raining. He looked back at Melinda, who now looked ashamed.

"Aw, C'mere." Jim said as he pulled her into a hug, and stroked her hair. "Why didn't you wake me? I told you that you could."

"You looked so peacefull" Melinda said, looking up at him.

"So you weren't scared?" Jim asked teasingly.

"Okay, so I was. But you need your sleep, so I win this argument" Melinda said with a smile.

"You always win, Mel."

"I know. Because I'm always right, remember?" Melinda said, as if she was talking to a 5-year-old.

Jim smiled at her, and pulls her closer.

"Jim? Do you really have to go to work today?" Melinda asked, using her sweet-and-innocent voice that Jim always fell for.

"Oh, didn't I tell you? Bobby gave me the day off of work." Jim said excitedly.

"So you're gonna come and hang around the store with me?" Melinda asked, pleased.

"Course I am! Why would I want to do anything BUT hang around with my beautiful wife on my day off?"

"Love you, Jim." Melinda said in a small whisper. "Don't ever leave me."

She hugged him tightly for a minute, but then pulled away.

"Alright, we'd better get to the store. Delia will be waiting." Melinda said.

* * *

A few hours later, Melinda's car pulled up in front of the store.

Before Melinda could open the door herself, Jim pulled it open.

"How did you get to this side so fast?" Melinda asked, as Jim helped her out of the car.

"I have my ways…" Jim teased, and they walked into the store together, laughing.

Delia walked out of the back room, just as they entered the store.

"Hey! Where have you been, Melinda? Oh, Hi Jim." She said quickly.

"Hey, sorry Delia. We…got a bit carried away…" Melinda trailed off, embarrassed. "It's okay if Jim hangs around here, isn't it?"

"Sure, of course it is. You have another day off, don't you?" Delia asked Jim.

"Yep, there isn't much we can do until funds come through to fix the ambulances and firehouse." Jim said solemnly.

Delia nods, unable to think of what to say.

"Maybe I'll just…go and get some coffee?" Delia says.

"That would be nice." Melinda replies.

Delia rushes out of the store, and Melinda sighs.

"Jim, I have something to tell you…You're not gonna like it."

"What is it?"

Melinda takes a deep breath "I…I saw something when you were asleep last night. As in a ghost something. He said that you were in danger, and that I was the only one who could save you. He told me you have to stay close to me." She says quickly, her eyes warily watching Jim's expression.

Jim pulls her into his arms, and kisses her hair.

"Why didn't you tell me, Mel? Is that why you looked so scared?"

Melinda nodded into his chest, and he rubs her back soothingly.

"Don't worry, I'll stick to you like glue. I won't leave you, ever. I promise." Jim says, and instantly makes Melinda feel better.

"I love you, Jim."

"Love you more, Mel."

* * *

Jim's day in the store flew by quickly, with Delia leaving a lot because she felt it was awkward. Melinda had tried a few times to convince her to stay, but she had left anyway.

"She feels awkward with you hanging around" Melinda told Jim after Delia had left for the fifth time.

"So maybe I should…"Jim started, but Melinda interrupted him with a pleading look. "Alright, Mel, I won't go anywhere. I'm sorry I even thought of it."

Melinda nods; looking pleased, and walks into the back of the store to collect some more boxes.

She picked up the box, and was about to walk into the front of the store, but she felt something watching her. Slowly, she wheeled around, to see that the ghost from last night was standing there.

"Who are you? What's your name? I can help you" Melinda whispered, so Jim wouldn't hear.

"I'm…here…to…help…protect…him. We…don't…need…him…yet. You do." The ghost said, wheezing as he spoke.

"What do you mean? What is going happen to him?" Melinda said quickly, tears forming in her eyes.

"Nothing, if…you…do…what…you're…supposed…to. It…all…ends…with…you." The ghost said, and then disappeared.

Jim walks in, just as tears start to fall down Melinda's cheeks.

"Mel? You okay?" He asks, worry tainting his voice.

Melinda quickly wipes her tears away, puts on a brave face and turns around to face him.

"Yeah, I'm fine" She lied. "It's just the dust back here…It got in my eye. I'm fine now."

Jim gives her a worried look, but Melinda brushes it off.

"Seriously, Jim, I'm fine. You can go back now."

Jim stares at her for a while, to make sure she's really okay, and then walks back into the front of the store. When Melinda saw that he was out of sight, the fake smile disappeared off of her face and she broke down into quiet sobs, sliding to the floor.

What Melinda didn't know was that Jim was watching her the whole time, through the reflection on the front doors. She gasped when his cool hands caught hers, but she leaned into him as he wrapped his arms around her.

"See. I knew you weren't fine. 'Fine' is secretly 'I want my husband to know, but I don't wanna tell him 'cause I'm afraid it will scare him'." Jim said after a while. "But you need to know, the only thing that would scare me is losing you."

"He said that it all ends with me." Melinda sobbed, clinging to Jim tightly.

"What 'all'?" Jim asked, more for the sake of keeping Melinda talking than to actually know what she was talking about. He didn't care if she said she was secretly a 4-eyed mutant and that the world ended with her, he would still love her.

"I don't know. He disappeared before he could tell me."

"Well, I don't like the idea of you being alone with this ghost if he makes you this scared. I'm sticking with you always." Jim said, internally hoping that she won't object.

"Even when dragging boxes from the back of the store to the front of the store, and going to look after Ned while Delia is out, and coffee runs, and 'ghost-related' trips?" Melinda asked jokingly.

"Even then. I'll be right next to you the whole time. Even if you get up to get a glass of water or something during the night, you have to wake me up first." Jim says.

"Or what?" Melinda teased.

"Or I'll have to stay up all day and night and watch you." Jim says with a serious face.

"Jim, you don't have to go to all that trouble just for me." Melinda says innocently, internally thanking him for saying those things. He always made her feel better.

"Mel, it isn't any trouble."

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please review and tell me what you think, cause I don't know whether to continue this story or not. Please review. **


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